


Counting the Hours

by Phoenix_Soar



Category: Shinhwa
Genre: Andy is so done, Bromance to Romance, Fluff and Angst, Inappropriate Humor, Junjin's an ass, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 20:52:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3869401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenix_Soar/pseuds/Phoenix_Soar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Perhaps the question "Which member would you leave to die in a zombie apocalypse?" is not the best one to break awkward silences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting the Hours

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the Shinhwa 17th Anniversary One-Shots @ AFF. A fic inspired by idle thoughts of how these two dorks might kill time if they were thrown into the classic situation of being stuck together in a dark place.
> 
> The artwork for this fic was made by the amazing makkana_ai @ AFF

_ _

_The circumstances in which Junjin found himself on that particularly cool Autumn day were just ... ridiculous._

_At least, that was how Junjin described it to himself during the first couple hours. The situation was also boring, time-wasting and just terribly inconvenient in every possible way, but mostly it was just ... ridiculous._

_Junjin blamed it all on the awkwardness._

_He was not a man accustomed to dealing with awkward situations. Not often anyway. Especially not when it concerned Shinhwa. However, right then, trapped in a non-moving claustrophobic elevator with no one to keep him company except one Andy Lee ..._

_Well, there weren't many situations more awkward than that._

~***~

~The First Hour~

Junjin looks over at the man leaning against the elevator wall across from him. Andy is gazing blankly at the elevator doors, just like how he has been doing for the past twenty minutes, as if waiting for the doors to magically spring open. 

As if there is nothing or no one else in the elevator worthier of his attention.

He has barely looked at Junjin ever since the electricity went off and their elevator came to a jolting stop thirty minutes ago. They had both jumped around in shock and panic for the first five minutes, futilely asking each other what had gone wrong and both taking turns to try the emergency telephone (which, of course, turned out to be gloriously useless just when they needed it). Next, they had furiously tried their hand phones, only to discover there was no signal in the elevator - clearly Fate has chosen this particular day to have a joke at their expense. At last, realising that there was nothing to be done until the electricity came back on or they were rescued, the both of them had lapsed into suffocating silence.

For Junjin, at least, it is suffocating. He knows silence; had immersed himself completely in it during his darker days, when his depression and paranoia got the better of him. He hates it now; he cannot handle how it overpowers everything, overwhelming his senses until he feels like he is drowning in it. It is one of the reasons why he likes being loud, especially in company. Talking, joking and laughing together with his friends bring him more comfort and solace than the silence ever had.

Alone with Andy, however, there does not seem to be anything other than silence. After the initial panic, the man has withdrawn into himself, barely casting Junjin a glance. His face is a blank mask, revealing nothing whatsoever of his thoughts.

Then again, of all his members, Junjin has always found Andy the hardest to read.

He looks at the younger man, wishing the silence away, wishing Andy would speak, wishing that Andy would just  _look_ , but ... nothing. Not a peek, not a sound.

Sighing to himself, he lets himself slide down the smooth wall to the floor. He makes a note to himself to tell Hyesung that his apartment block's electricity sucks.

~***~

_The first hour was like being trapped. Silent, awkward, and claustrophobic in a way that had nothing to do with the small enclosed space._

~***~

~The Second Hour~

Sixty-nine minutes and fifty-four seconds of silence later, Junjin has had it.

'Which member would you leave to die in a zombie apocalypse?' His voice sounds alarmingly loud in the small space and Andy's head shoots up, his eyes wide with surprise. 

'What?!'

Junjin repeats the question and Andy gives him such an intense look of disbelief, as if he is seriously considering the state of Junjin's current sanity (or lack thereof), that the former almost feels a bit embarrassed. OK, so maybe that question is not the best ice breaker for awkward silences. 

Still, it is out there now and Andy is finally truly looking at him - even speaking, all hail God! - so Junjin buries down his embarrassment and barrels on with it.

'I'm just curious. Say that the world is overrun with zombies and you have to leave behind one of the members to save the rest. Which one would that be...?'

Andy still looks a little bit like he has taken a club to the head, but his lips twitch slightly and Junjin recognises the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. 'How do you even come up with these questions?'

Junjin shrugs, smirking. 'I was bored and thinking deep existential thoughts about life and death' - Andy stifles a snort at this - 'and I was looking at you and, well, the word "zombie" is synonymous with your name anyway, so...' 

Andy actually laughs out loud. 'I didn't think you knew words with that many syllables.'

It takes a moment for Junjin to understand that Andy has just taken a dig at him. He stares at the man, surprised, because he honestly cannot remember the last time Andy actually teased him so openly to his face. Sure, as a group, Shinhwa is notorious for giving each other grief, but Andy and him together, just one-on-one ... 

Without thinking, Junjin finds himself retorting, 'And I didn't think you had enough wit to fill a soju cup.'

The sentence comes out colder and more derisive than Junjin means to, heavily bearing his previous negative feelings towards Andy. His dissatisfaction at Andy avoiding his eyes, Andy refusing to take the initiative to speak to him ... Andy simply failing to show whether he  _cared_  that Junjin was there with him. 

Perhaps some of his older emotions towards Andy came out in that sentence as well; the ones he had buried down over fifteen years ... like the uneasiness he has always felt at the distance between them, the irritation that gnaws at him whenever people remark that they are awkward with each other, and ... the unhappiness of acknowledging that there actually is a smidgen of truth to it all. Junjin and Andy have never been as close to each other as they are with the rest of Shinhwa. There has always been a small barrier between them, which was built not only by their confusing "hyung-or-friend?" birth dates, but also by their starkly different personalities. 

They just do not ...  _click_  at times. And Junjin has often felt frustrated by it, especially on the occasions when he feels that Andy is not trying; that Andy does not desire the same closeness that Junjin has often envisioned them having. 

All of these feelings seem to have culminated into that single cold sentence, and now Andy is staring at him. Junjin wilts a little at the look in his eyes, seeing his veiled shock and hurt, and immediately regrets how he spoke. He wants to say that he meant it as a joke, just a snarky comeback at Andy's dig at him, but he knows Andy will see right through it.

When there is no response forthcoming, Junjin awkwardly tries to steer the topic to safer waters again. 'So ... about that zombie apocalypse. Which member? To die?'

Andy looks at him for the longest moment before looking away. His tone is low, aloof, when he finally gives a single monosyllabic answer,

'You.'

~***~

_The second hour was like drowning in an ocean. Drowning and fighting to stay afloat until you break the surface for just a few splendid seconds, gulping down air full of_  life _, before being dragged down to the depths again._

~***~

~The Third Hour~  
   
Andy is the one to speak up this time. After what seems like an eternity of agonising quiet and avoiding gazes, he finally looks up from where he is sitting huddled in a corner.

'It was a joke, you know.'

Junjin, who all this time had been fighting a losing battle with himself over his guilt, is startled.

'What I said about you knowing big words. I was just teasing.'

'I know.'

'Then why'd you get mad all of a sudden?'

Junjin looks apologetically at him. 'I didn't mean to.'

'But you did. What were you angry about? What did I do?'

'You didn't do anything.'

'That's not an answer.'

Junjin meets Andy's demanding gaze and wonders how to answer. How can he explain fifteen years of suppressed dissatisfaction over their relationship? A relationship that neither of them can really be blamed for, anyway? How does he tell Andy that he wants more from the other man, more openness, more revelations of his hidden feelings, more attempts at closeness? 

For all Junjin knows, Andy may not be harbouring a single similar thought.

'I'm sorry,' he says at last, very softly. 'I'm sorry I spoke like that, Andy. It was supposed to be a joke on my part, too, but it didn't come out like that.'

Andy exhales loudly. 'Is there a reason?'

Junjin almost lies and says no. He only stops because, on one hand, Andy does not deserve such treatment from him, and on the other, Andy is pretty much impervious to bullshit anyway.

'I suppose so,' Junjin finally admits. 'I'm just ... not used to it.'

'Not used to people teasing you?' asks Andy, raising an incredulous eyebrow.

'Not used to  _you_  teasing me.'

Andy blinks at Junjin's quiet confession. His expression is impossible to read, but something flickers in his dark eyes.

'You ... you should do it more often, you know,' Junjin continues without thinking. He cringes the moment the unplanned words leave his lips, but the damage is done.

'Are you actually asking me to give you grief?' For all that the question would normally seem playful, Andy looks far too serious at the moment.

'It'd be nice, I think,' Junjin rambles. His mind is screaming at him to  _stop, just stop_ , but his tongue is running wild. 'It's what friends do, you know? We'd grow closer to each other.'

_Shit._  

Oh God, what has he just said?

Andy gapes at him for so long that Junjin begins to fidget nervously, wondering if from now on, the younger man would see him as nothing but a weirdo. Who  _says_  such things to a friend that they have known and worked with for nearly two decades anyway?

Park effin Choongjae, that's who.

The sound of soft laughter makes him look up. Junjin stares, nonplussed, as Andy throws back his head against the wall and just laughs and laughs. Finally, he catches his breath and grins at Junjin.

'Right. Let's be closer friends, then, Choongjae-yah.'

Something in the way Andy smiles at him gives Junjin the impression that his friend has, somehow, actually  _understood_. Understood his previous ramblings and his convoluted hints that he wants them to open up more to each other. Neither of them brings it up again, but Junjin's heart feels lighter as they settle into companionable silence, smiling at each other.

It also then strikes him that Andy has just now addressed him by his given name. A rare occurrence when the man is sober.

The thought makes him grin broadly and Junjin asks cheerily, 'You're not really gonna leave me behind to die in a zombie apocalypse, are ya?'

Andy looks sheepishly at him. '...No. We'd probably have a higher chance of survival having you with us.'

Andy's praise makes Junjin's heart swell a bit more than it should. 'Then who would you leave behind?'

The other man considers for a moment. 'Myself.'

'That's such a bullshit answer.'

'I wouldn't sacrifice anyone else as long as I'm still there. Neither would you, if it were up to you.'

'You sound so sure.'

'I know you.'

Junjin regards Andy for a few seconds. He had said it so confidently, that he  _knows_  Junjin. Maybe it is true, Junjin muses to himself. Andy and he may not exactly be the very best of friends, but despite the slight distance between them, the hint of awkwardness ... they  _do_  know each other. They know and they care, deeply.

Andy is right. Junjin would have done the same.

'Right. But you know, if you actually had any consideration for us, you wouldn't let yourself be taken by the zombies,' Junjin quips.

'Why not?'

'Do you think any of us stands a single frickin' chance in the face of Zomdy?'

Andy bursts out laughing so hard that his voice echoes in the small space. Junjin watches, heartened, as the younger man nearly falls over to the floor in his hysterics. Being able to make Andy genuinely laugh has always made him happy. It feels like the one common ground shared between two individuals who are so different from each other.

When Andy has finally calmed down, Junjin fires off,

'OK, so ... which member would you offer up for alien anal probing? And you can't choose yourself this time.'

Andy groans in resignation.

~***~

_The third hour was like a dark and roiling stormy night that prevails the breaking of a golden dawn, calm and beautiful in its radiance._

~***~

~The Fourth hour~

Andy is finally starting to look a little irritated. 

Junjin considers this a personal victory, because for the past - twenty minutes? Thirty minutes? He has lost count - he has been firing weird question after question and Andy has resignedly answered every one of them without snapping. Junjin had started it out of pure boredom and the sheer need to break the silence, but now he is keeping it up out of fascination. Just how much does it take to make Andy lose it?

'Who is the last person on Earth you would ever introduce to your sister?'

'You.'

'Who would you never cook for?'

'You.'

'Which member has the largest chance of ending up in Hell?'

'You.'

Junjin is enjoying himself now. Andy had actually given thought to his questions and tried to answer honestly in the beginning. Now, though ... every question that provides him with the chance to insult Junjin, he is shamelessly taking it. Junjin wants to laugh. Any other person would have blown up at him by now - or just refused to answer - but Andy has always had a different approach to expressing his emotions.

Insulting Junjin to his face in a perfectly nonchalant voice is one of those ways.

Getting a sly idea, Junjin represses a smile and continues without missing a beat, 'Which member do you think will be the first to die?'

'You.'

'Which member would you sleep with?'

'You-' Andy quickly stops, startled.

Junjin cracks up, falling sideways to the floor and clutching his stomach. Andy shoots him a withering look.

'Aww, really, Sunho?' Junjin chokes between his laughter. 'Why, you should've just asked.'

'You asshole.'

Junjin laughs harder. 'You make it way too easy, Andy-yah. And I'm holding you to that, by the way. You want to sleep with me. No take backs.'

The younger man gives an exaggerated roll of his eyes and makes a show of looking very affronted, but the high colour of his cheeks is obvious even in the dim glow of the elevator's emergency light. 

'Enough with your weird question game now. I'm done playing.'

'But it just got to the interesting part,' teases Junjin, leering seductively at the other man. Andy glowers at him and Junjin backs off, chuckling good-naturedly.

Andy looks around at the elevator doors and sighs heavily. 'When is the electricity coming back on? It's been hours ... I need to go home and feed Fany.' He pulls out his hand phone for the fifty sixth time in more than three hours, but there is still no signal available.

'I'm sure it won't be too long now...' Junjin tries to reassure him.

Andy just frowns, clearly not agreeing with the sentiment. 'It's getting colder too.'

And so it was. Junjin looks at his watch and mentally calculates that the sun must have set approximately an hour ago. They are well on their way to winter now and, without the heating inside the elevator working, it will surely become chilly very soon. 

Junjin pulls his jacket closer around him and gruffly remarks, 'Hyesung hyung's apartment building sucks.'

'This might have been caused by a widespread blackout within this whole area, you know. That would explain why it is taking so damn long for the electricity to come back.'

'Or the electricity in Hyesung's building just sucks.'

Andy snorts. 'If that makes you feel any better.'

'No, but I'm gonna bitch about this to hyung. That will make me feel better.'

Andy shakes his head in amusement at him, and then huddles deeper into his coat. He releases a shaky breath, shivering slightly. Junjin looks at him with concern.

'Want my jacket?'

'No, I'm fine.'

'Sunho, you're shaking worse than that creepy Bob Marley bobble head Eric hyung used to stick in his car.'

'Thanks,' says Andy dryly, but he is still shivering occasionally.

Junjin pauses, gathering up his courage. Finally he forces himself to his feet. 'Here, scoot over.'

The younger man looks taken aback when Junjin carefully sits down next to him and, a moment's hesitation later, wraps his arm around Andy's shoulders, pulling him closer. Andy tenses at the intimate touch, still surprised. When Junjin makes no other move, Andy eventually relaxes and settles against him, accepting Junjin's nonverbal offer of body heat.

'Better?'

Andy makes a sound of affirmation and Junjin smiles.

They stay like that for a while, not speaking. As the seconds tick by, Andy grows more comfortable and leans into Junjin's side more, his head coming to rest on his shoulder. Junjin turns to him, tightening his hold on Andy. He can smell the fragrance of the other's shampoo, a faint musky smell that lingers pleasantly in his nose. When Andy shows no sign of wanting to pull away, Junjin gently rests his head on top of Andy's, turning his face to bury his nose in the soft thick hair.

It feels nice.

Smiling slightly, he lets his eyes close.

~***~

_The fourth hour was like a whisper. A whisper of a promise, of hope, of longing._

~***~

~The Fifth Hour~

Junjin wakes up to the amazingly pleasant feel of gentle fingers carding through his hair. He keeps his eyes closed and indulges in the feeling a little more, lips twitching up slightly. He cannot remember the last time anyone touched his hair like this...

'Finally awake, then?'

The voice is not one he is expecting and he jolts awake to full alertness. Staring down at him are a pair of familiar dark eyes and his heart skips a beat as he realises who is touching him. 

'You fell asleep on me,' says Andy lightly, ghosting his fingertips along Junjin's scalp. The teasing caress elicits tiny goose bumps down the back of his neck.

Swallowing, Junjin tries to get his bearings. He is lying on the cold, hard floor of the elevator, but his head is nestled comfortably on Andy's lap. Blood rushes to his face and he drops his eyes, not quite used to this type of intimacy between them.

'I'm pretty sure you cut off the blood circulation to my legs.'

Face still hot, Junjin quickly makes to get up, but Andy presses him back down with a hand on his chest.

'Relax, Jin,' he chuckles. 'I was just teasing. You're not heavy. You just seemed so tired and really in need of rest, so I didn't want to wake you earlier.'

'Oh.' 

Andy toys with a strand of his hair and adds casually, 'You can sleep some more, if you like. You seem dead tired.'

Junjin regards him mutely. He still finds it hard to get a read on Andy, but if he is not mistaken, he can almost swear that Andy looks a little shy at the moment. Right. He is not used to being with Junjin like this, either. But the fact that he is offering anyway...

Junjin chooses to ignore his embarrassment in favour of the sudden happiness he feels in that moment. 'Well, don't mind if I do,' he drawls and stretches luxuriously. With a grin, he deliberately nuzzles his head deeper into Andy's lap and closes his eyes. 'Don't complain when I really do cut off your circulation.'

'Why do I already regret offering?' Andy says laughingly, his own embarrassment taking a backseat in the light of Junjin's nonchalance.

The older man cracks an eye open. 'You look tired as well, Andy.'

Andy shakes his head. 'I'm fine, really.' 

'You're doing it again.'

'What?'

'Pretending you're OK when you're not. Just like how you were pretending you weren't cold earlier.'

'It's just a little discomfort. Not like I'm on the verge of dying, Jin.' Andy rolls his eyes.

With an exaggerated sigh, Junjin sits up and turns to Andy. Wordlessly, he grabs the man by the shoulders and, ignoring his cry of surprise and protest, forces him down so that he is lying on the floor. Next moment, Junjin curls up beside him and and wraps his free arm around Andy, offering his body heat once more.

'Go to sleep,' he orders the younger man.

'Jin, I'm completely fine!'

'Not another word. Sleep, now.'

'Seriously, Jinnie - '

'If you don't get some rest, I'm going to tell everyone how you said you want to sleep with me,' Junjin smirks smugly.

Andy scowls. 'You tricked me that time.'

'I did no such thing. I asked a question, you gave your answer. The end.'

'No, you -'

'Shut up and rest or I really am going to sleep with you. Right here, right now.'

Andy crocks an eyebrow at him, hiding an amused smile. 'Even if I do this,  _technically_  we'll still be sleeping together, anyway.'

'Context, context,' says Junjin, waving his hand airily in the air before returning it to around Andy.

Andy laughs at him, but stops trying to fight it off anyway. He closes his eyes, falling quiet at last, and Junjin spends a few minutes just studying his face. It is not often that he can see Andy like this, exposed and vulnerable, just bare inches away. Junjin eyes the contour of Andy's face, the sharp jut of his jawline, the curve of his big nose - which his hyungs are forever poking fun at - and the tired bags under his eyes. Eyes that are dark, warm and piercing when they are open. 

He has known this man for more than half of his life and yet, right now in this moment, he feels closer to him than he has in the past fifteen or sixteen years.

Andy's breath evens out slowly and Junjin gives into the impulse to shift closer to him. Wrapping his arm more securely around the other man, Junjin leans forward so that their foreheads are touching. 

Andy's skin is cool and Junjin warms him with his touch.

And then, intertwined together on the cold floor of an elevator and sharing the same breath, they sleep.

~***~

_The fifth hour was like the sweet chorus of a thousand angels raising the triumphant cry of_ Hallelujah!

~***~

~The Sixth Hour~

Waking up together brings back some of the earlier awkwardness. 

The night has gotten colder and they are completely pressed up against each other, limbs tangled together and their faces touching. They freeze at the proximity, eyes widening and breaths hitching, but then Junjin effectively breaks the tension with a spectacular,

'I need to pee.'

Andy recoils from him with a groan and Junjin silently bemoans the loss of contact. The air suddenly feels so much colder.

'Please, don't. Not here.'

'I  _really_  need to pee, though.'

'Just - just hold it till we get out of here!'

'I haven't peed in what, five or six hours?' Junjin complains, sitting up. 'It's urgent, I need to go!'

'But you can't go here!' cries Andy, getting to his feet. 'It's gonna spread everywhere and stink up the place and I do  _not_  want to deal with that.'

'But!' protests Junjin, leaping up and walking around in circles, willing his bladder to hold it.

'Don't you dare,' warns Andy in an uncharacteristically sharp voice. Clearly, after nearly six hours of elevator confinement, Andy Lee has maxed out on his patience level.

'Do you have a bottle?' demands Junjin, spotting the black messenger bag Andy had discarded to one corner of the elevator earlier that night. 'You carry a water bottle around, don't you?'

'Oh, right. I nearly forgot about it...'

'Hurry!' whines Junjin, now doing a silly little hopping dance, trying to delay the impossible as much as he can.

'OK, OK, hang on.' Andy fishes through his bag for a few seconds before producing a bottle half-filled with water. 'Oh, it has some left -'

'ARE YOU KIDDING ME, JUST DRINK IT OR SPILL IT, I DON'T CARE, I NEED THAT BOTTLE!!'

Andy nearly drops the bottle as he fumbles to drink it up as quickly as possible. The last drop of liquid has barely cleared the bottle neck before it is snatched out of his hand by Junjin. He hastily begins to unzip his jeans.

'W-wait, don't whip it out in front of me,' sputters Andy, blushing. He looks the other way just as Junjin reveals himself in all his glory.

Junjin audibly exhales as he is finally able to relieve himself. He finishes up and swiftly caps the bottle, replying to Andy a little too late, 'Why? We've seen each other naked plenty of times.'

'Yes, well, seeing you pee is not particularly a sight I desire to see.'

Junjin gingerly places the bottle in the far corner of the elevator. Andy wrinkles his nose. 'We should remember to throw that out when we finally escape this place.'

'Mm hmm.' Junjin glances at Andy and then away, a sheepish look spreading across his features.

Andy narrows his eyes. 'What is it, Choongjae?'

'Nothing. I'm just ... I realised I'm really thirsty, too.'

Andy stares at him for a moment before giving a long-suffering sigh. He flops down on the floor and fixes Junjin with a sardonic look. 'You're telling me this right after I finished off the water?'

'Well, at the time, I could only concentrate on just peeing, yanno?'

Andy grunts, unamused. 'Yeah, well, there's nothing for it. The water's all gone - and we better pray that  _I_  don't need to start peeing any time soon, thanks to that. We'll be in real trouble then.'

Almost pouting a little, Junjin settles down next to him. 'In situations like these, it's kind of unfair how water and pee come as a package deal.'

At this, a hint of amusement crosses Andy's darkened face. Encouraged by this, Junjin ploughs on, 'Speaking of which, do you know there was this couple honeymooning on some island country and they got stranded in the middle of the ocean while out scuba diving, but the woman was able to stay alive 'cause she drank her husband's pee?'

A minute of silence follows this, in which Andy just gawks at Junjin, looking caught between awe and disgust. And then,

'Where the hell do you even come up with these stuff?!'

Junjin shrugs, enjoying the other man's reaction. 'The things you stumble across on the internet.'

'You just made it up, didn't you.'

'No, really, I read it somewhere. It's interesting though, isn't it, that something your body wastes can be used to save a life -?'

'If this is some less-than-subtle hint that you want us to -'

'Oh God, no!' Junjin shoves at Andy with his shoulder. 'Of course not, that's disgusting. I'm just doing my part to share a few more facts with the world. The more you know...'

Andy chortles to himself, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Grinning, Junjin leans against him.

'I really am thirsty, though,' he complains softly.

'Drink your own saliva or something,' Andy mutters back, sighing.

Of course it would not work, but Junjin actually tries it for several seconds. He gives up with an unhappy frown. 'It's not helping with the thirst at all.'

Andy sighs again, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

'And now my mouth is all dry.'

'Congratulations,' is the wry response.

Junjin considers his friend. A thought occurs to him and he gives Andy a teasing look. 'Maybe it would be more filling if one were to drink another's saliva,' he remarks with a suggestive wink.

Andy throws him a look that clearly implies just how  _done_  he is with Junjin right now. Junjin is obviously on the very edge of passing over Andy's bullshit tolerance limit.

He pushes his luck a little bit more. 'I mean, really, since it wouldn't be our own spit, maybe our body would accept it as a suitable drink -'

He has pushed his luck too far. One moment he is goading Andy and the next, he is flat on his back with Andy's lips crushing his own and Andy's tongue twisting in his mouth.

Everything seems to disappear in that instant. His thoughts, his words, his very breath ... all that Junjin can feel is the press of the warm mouth against his own, the kiss deepening before Andy pulls back.

'Thirst quenched enough for you?'

Junjin cannot speak and Andy flashes a small victorious smirk at this, having had achieved his goal. 'You asked for it, you know.'

The older man lies still, concentrating on breathing. His mind is still laser-focussed on what had just happened. He certainly never saw that one coming. 

'Hey.' Andy nudges his leg. 'Are you dead?'

'... For someone who complains whenever others kiss him, you're pretty darn open about it,' Junjin is finally able to speak.

'Only when the situation calls for it.' Andy shrugs one shoulder.

Junjin huffs a little at this, regaining his senses. 'Oh really?' he drawls, sitting up. 'You mean like that time we were filming Shinhwa Broadcast and you asked me to kiss you in front of half a dozen dongsaengs? Yeah sure, that situation was just screaming for it.'

Andy, who has been looking completely at a loss, widens his eyes as the memory clicks into place. 'Ah, right! That recording with Super Junior...!'

'The very one.'

'Hey, it worked, didn't it?' Andy says earnestly. 'We were proving a point to them.'

'What point was it again? My memory is lacking.'

'That we're not awkward with each other.'

This gives Junjin pause. He regards Andy. 'Right ... So, you don't feel at all awkward with me?'

'I wouldn't exactly put my lips on someone's mouth if I'm not comfortable with them, now would I?' points out Andy rather sarcastically.

Junjin has to fight to hide the smile threatening to spread across his face. His heart is expanding with gladness and relief. All this time, he has been fretting over their relationship, hardly daring to contemplate what Andy actually thought of it. Little has he suspected that Andy's feelings towards him are like this; easy, comfortable and sincerely affectionate. Junjin feels lighter than he has in years.

'...I'm still thirsty.'

This earns him a glare from Andy. 'Don't push it.'

Junjin smirks, not a single worry left in his mind now. 'I mean it, though. I'm truly incredibly thirsty. Could really use a drink right now.'

'Keep this up and I really will do it,' Andy warns him, but there is a sparkle of humour in his eyes.

Grinning mischievously, Junjin leans forward and enunciates slowly, 'I think I'll  _die_  of thirst soon.'

'I hate you.' But Andy is laughing and, true to his word, he reaches for Junjin and Junjin inwardly crows in victory as Andy playfully kisses him again. Wrapping his arms around Andy's waist, he holds the other man close and slowly, deliberately, parts his lips open in silent invitation. He holds his breath, wondering if Andy would dare to go that far again -

The lights flicker on around them and the loud ping of the elevator breaks them apart. With a jolt, the elevator begins moving at last. A few seconds later, it comes to a stop and the door opens to the empty ground floor landing of Hyesung's apartment. Junjin and Andy blink in the sudden light, still holding each other.

'Wow, perfect timing,' mutters Junjin.

Andy is starting to look a little embarrassed, his cheeks colouring red in the bright lights. Wanting to bring back his playful smile again, Junjin remarks loudly, 

'If I'd known that the magic spell to break the curse of the unmoving elevator was true love's first kiss, I would've made out with you hours ago.'

Just like he had planned, Andy begins to laugh. Shaking his head, he lets go of Junjin and stands up. 'True love? Keep dreaming, Choongjae-yah.'

'You love me and you know it,' says Junjin obnoxiously and Andy laughs again as he picks up his messenger bag.

'Yeah, yeah, I love you.'

The playful words make Junjin a tad happier than they probably should.

Standing up as well, he checks his watch. 'Goddamn, we were stuck there for six hours! It's very late now.'

Andy frowns as they leave the elevator together. 'I'm starving, though. I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat before I go home.'

Junjin looks uncertainly at him. 'Want to go together? I mean,' he adds when Andy glances questioningly at him, 'you could, you know ... have dinner. With me. Together. Somewhere.' He berates himself for stumbling over the words. What the hell is wrong with him?

Andy is smiling at him though, dark eyes twinkling. 'Yeah. I'd like that.'

They leave the apartment together out into the cool Autum night, shoulders brushing together.

~***~

_The sixth hour was the beginning of the journey, the tip of the iceberg. The sixth hour proved the promise of "more". The sixth hour ... was glorious._


End file.
